Letters: Seeking out exotic wildlife

Copyright 2012: Houston Chronicle

Updated 7:44 pm, Thursday, April 5, 2012

Nonsensical

Regarding "Exotics face horns of dilemma" (Page A1, Saturday), Priscilla Feral of an animal rights group states blatantly that she and her organization would rather these thriving animals - scimitar horned oryz, addax and dama gazelle - perish into extinction than be hunted. This is the mentality of these "I'm a Friend to Animals"-type organizations. They hate hunting and hunters so much that they have lost any shred of common sense.

It's time to tell these people a resounding no and keep them away from the animals they allegedly love so much.

Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral says she would rather they became extinct than be pursued in "canned hunts" on Texas ranches. I am stunned she would make such a ridiculous statement. Feral had better be the purest vegetarian the world has ever seen. Otherwise she would be one of the biggest hypocrites the world has ever seen.

Feral with Friends of Animals states she would rather see these three species become extinct than be hunted. She reminds me of the story of the two women and the baby in front of King Solomon. Feral wants the baby cut in half. Some people will never see the forest because too many trees are in the way.

The story spotlighted some challenges facing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as we comply with a federal court decision that requires us to issue Endangered Species Act permits for three African antelope species.

I'm concerned the article may have misinformed readers about the permit process we implemented this week.

Ranchers contribute to the conservation of these species, and hunting is an appropriate herd management practice. However, the court made it clear we cannot exempt these activities from ESA permitting requirements.

We've made the permitting process quick and easy. Ranchers can obtain a permit that will authorize multiple hunts over the course of a year. The cost of the permits is minimal, averaging $140 annually. We have developed detailed guidance, and are offering training and assistance in the process.

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Our goal is to ensure that the permit process is implemented efficiently and effectively, enabling ranchers to continue supporting species conservation while meeting their herd management needs and providing outdoor recreation opportunities.